West turned and trudged off through the trees, his shoulders hunched up, not a word said. Dogman could see the muscles clenching in the side of his head. Blaming himself, most likely. Men liked to do that a lot when folk died, in the Dogman's experience, and West seemed the type for it. Pike followed him, and the two of them passed Shivers, coming up the other way.

He stopped beside the graves, frowning down, hair hanging round his face, then he looked up at them. 'Don't mean no disrespect. None at all. But we need a new chief.'

'The earth's only just turned on him,' hissed Dow, giving him the eye.

Shivers held up his hands. 'Best time to discuss it, then, I reckon. So there's no confusion. My boys are jumpy, being honest. They've lost friends, and they've lost Threetrees, and they need someone to look to, that's a fact. Who's it going to be?'

Dogman rubbed his face. He hadn't even thought about it yet, and now that he did he didn't know what to think. Tul Duru Thunderhead and Black Dow were two big, hard names, both led men before, and well. Dogman looked at them, standing there, frowning at each other. 'I don't care which o' you it is,' he said. 'I'll follow either one. But it's clear as clear, it has to be one of you two.'

Tul glared down at Dow, and Dow glowered back up at him. 'I can't follow him,' rumbled Tul, 'and he won't follow me.'

'That's a fact,' hissed Dow. 'We talked it out already. Never work.'

Tul shook his head. 'That's why it can't be either one of us.'

'No,' said Dow. 'It can't be one of us.' He sucked at his teeth, snorted some snot into his face and spat it out onto the dirt. 'That's why it has to be you, Dogman.'

'That's why what now?' said Dogman, his eyes wide open and staring.

Tul nodded. 'You're the chief. We've all agreed it.'

'Uh,' said Grim, not even looking up.

'Ninefingers gone,' said Dow, 'and Threetrees gone, and that leaves you.'

Dogman winced. He was waiting for Shivers to say, 'You what? Him? Chief?' He was waiting for them all to start laughing, and tell him it was a joke. Black Dow, and Tul Duru Thunder-head, and Harding Grim, not to mention two dozen Carls besides, all taking his say-so. Stupidest idea he ever heard. But Shivers didn't laugh.

'That's a good choice, I reckon. Speaking for my lads, that's what I was going to suggest. I'll let 'em know.' And he turned and made off through the trees, with the Dogman gawping after him.